Sweeping compound.



UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

AUGUST GETZ, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SWEEPING COMPOUND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 788,042, dated April25, 1905.

Application filed January 17,1905. Serial No. 241,439.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST GETZ, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sweeping Compounds;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

The present invention relates to an improved compound designed moreparticularly to take the place of the sawdust ordinarily spread over thesurface of halls, business houses, saloons, and similar places prior tothe sweeping thereof. To keep down the dust during the sweeping of suchplaces, it is required that the sawdust be moistened, else the same willnot collect the dirt and absorb the particles of dust.

The object of this invention is not only to dispense with the employmentof the wet sawdust at present generally used as a dust-absorbent, but toprovide a sweeping compound which will render the work of sweepingclustless, which shall be antiseptic in its nature, sanitary, andequally as well adapted for the sweeping of carpet as for the sweepingof bare floors or surfaces, while at the same time possessing perfectcleaning characteristics.

Inasmuch as the hereinafter-doseribed compound readily absorbs allparticles of dust the spreading of disease germs is prevented during thesweeping of the floor or pavement over which the compound has beenscattered. For such reason the presently-described dustless-sweepingcompound will readily recommend itself for the sweeping of public halls,theaters, churches, sidewalks, cars, and all other places wherein anumber of persons generally assemble or for the cleaning of sickrooms,as the absorption of the dust particles is essential during the sweepingof all such places.

The improved dust-absorbent or dustlesssweeping compound is composed ofsawdust, silicious material, such as fine gravel or sand, any suitablenon-drying vegetable oil or animal fat, such as olive-oil or lard,rosin, and pine-tar, which ingredients are thoroughly intermixed so asto form a heavy powdered compound.

In carryingout the invention equal portions of sawdust and siliciousmaterial, such as line gravel or sand, is used, to which a non-dryingoil is added, the proportion of oil being about one-sixth the combinedweight of the sawdust and sand, the quantity of rosin added being aboutone-tenth the weight of the said combined sawdust and sand, a similarquantity of pine-tar being used as of the rosin. For a mixture of thecompound weighing approximately one hundred and fifty pounds theproportions of the ingredients used would be about as follows: sawdust,fifty pounds; silicious material, fifty pounds; non-drying oil, fifteenpounds; rosin, ten pounds: pine-tar, ten pounds. After these ingredientshave been thoroughly intermixed there will be produced a somewhat moistpowdered compound which is free to be easily scattered over the surfaceto be swept or cleaned. The nondrying oil acts as a binder for the partsand serves to maintain the compound in a moist condition, while therosin gives the requisite adhesiveness, the pine-tar serving as adisinfectant.

The compound as thus prepared will readily absorb all particles of dustduring the operation of sweeping the floor or carpet over which thepowder has been previously strewn, thus permitting of an absolutely dryand dustless sweepin Having thus described the invention, what isclaimed as new, and desired to be protected by Letters Patent, is

A dustless-sweeping compound comprising a mixture of sawdust, siliciousmaterial, a nondrying oil, rosin and pine-tar, the whole beingintermixed in about the proportions set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence ofwitnesses.

AUGUST UETZ.

In presence of- N. A. Acxnn, l). B. RICHARDS.

